Re: [amsat-bb] GRRRRRRRRRRR!

[Jon Ogden <na9d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

on 3/1/01 7:14 AM, Tim at Tim@teammca.org wrote:

> After over a month of trying, I finally almost made my first satellite
> contact on UO-14 last night.  I had been calling and had heard myself in
> the downlink when, to my shock someone called me back, unfortunatly
> about 3 seconds later the satellite spun (as it normally does) so that I
> was crossed polarization and by the time it came back around to where I
> could talk to it, it was below my radio horizion and I lost him.

I've never experienced UO-14 tumbling or "spinning" and changing
polarization.  I've copied it indoors on a rubber duck.  It sounds like you
were trying to work the bird near the horizon.  You can get a polarization
shift near the horizon, but it's not because of the satellite spinning, but
reflections off the earth and other objects (near horizon, the satellite
signal is almost like a ground wave signal and is subject to multi-path
fading and so forth).
> 
> 
> I guess this means I have to get busy and build those turnstile antenna
> that I have been talking about

What antenna have you been using?  A vertical?

I wouldn't mess with a turnstyle.  Get a nice small beam or something like
that.   If you are using a vertical, I am not surprised you are having
problems.

Keep trying on UO-14.  As soon as someone completes a QSO - CALL THEM.  If
you make it through, you are there.  If you don't make it through - STOP -
let the QSO finish and then call someone else.  Speak quickly and firmly.
Don't be timid about waiting for a nice long period of silence before
calling.  You'll never get it.  Forget the "etiquette" used on repeaters.
UO-14 is a different paradigm.

73,

Jon
NA9D


-------------------------------------
Jon Ogden
NA9D (ex: KE9NA)

Member:  ARRL, AMSAT, DXCC, NRA

http://www.qsl.net/ke9na

"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."

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